Well, it is the first of the year and it came time to hit the trail again and so we was off to Big South Fork Country. We was really wanting to bring in the new year on a hike to bring in the new year but things didn’t work out for us to do that so we settled for the following week of which was just as good, in my opinion. The Twin Arches Loop is a trail that we had never done before so we was excited to get to do something that we had not seen yet.
Our crew on this journey was composed of myself, Darrin, and Kelvin. We left work a little early on Friday to hike in and camp overnight with the low’s suppose to be in the low 20’s. It took us close to an hour to get to the trail head and we was off.
The distance to the arches is only about .7 of a mile and when we went on the trail you wind up walking right over one of the arches and have this kind of view right here.
It didn’t take very long at all to get to the arches and so once we check these out for a few moments it is time to press on to our campsite which was another 2 miles away which we really wasn’t expecting for whatever reason so we get our map out to verify we are heading the right way and we were off.I wasn’t really able to get a good shot of the arches but I will show you what I did get.
It takes us roughly about an hour to get on back to our campsite but on this little trek we were all doing something for the very first time and that was hiking in the dark with a head lamp, which in itself was pretty neat. Here is a small video of it.
So after we get in camp and rest for a few minutes we start to get camp set up. I get my tent set up and the other fellas get their hammocks up and then it was time for the hard part, in my opinion, and that was to find some dry wood, and in the dark mind you. We finally find some wood and a standing dead tree to get us going and, alas, the fire got built.
Our fire
Kelvin warming by the fire.
Darrin doing some whittling by the fire on a nice piece of cedar.
After sitting by the fire we got our stoves out to cook us up some supper and got our belly’s full and we was set to go. We turned in around 10:30 or 11:00 and the temperature was around 23 at this time. I think the overnight low was around 20 for the night but it was no where as miserable as last year on the Honey Creek Loop where the lows was in the single digits. It had been a great hike in and I also got to try out some new toys that I had just gotten earlier in the week and that was my micro-stool to sit on and my brand new Sawyer water filter and they both worked like a champ.
We survive the night and get up around 7 or so, wake up a little bit, and then I do a morning video and behold what do we see at the end of the video? Hmmm! Let’s see!
Yeah that is our other man Jason on his way in as I was wrapping up filming. He wasn’t able to come in with us the previous night so he met us at our campsite to finish up the loop and check out the other parts of this trail. So we meander on to Slave Falls which is a 60 foot waterfall that we thought would be a cool side trail. It was a extra 3 miles and it was pretty neat but the falls was not flowing greatly but it was still a good thing to check out.
Slave Falls
Video of Slave Falls
So after this side trail we get back to the trail head that would take us to the Charit Creek Lodge I believe it was a mile to a mile and a half once we got back to the trail head from Slave Falls. This is a pretty neat place that I wouldn’t mind staying at some point.
Darrin by an old chimney
Jason chillin’ and rocking the rocker!
So after we ponder here for a few and check it out we decide that our belly’s was getting hungry so we start heading up to the trail head and when I say up I am not kidding.
All in all we did roughly about 8 miles I think and after one more picture of our crew we got in our vehicles and headed to get some BBQ, our personal favorite at the BBQ Shack in Clarkrange. It did hit the spot that is for sure! So until next time I will see ya on the trail! Tommy
Adventure Blog 